Insects and other arthropod pests are vectors of numerous parasitic and viral diseases, including for example malaria, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and encephalitis. In addition, these pests destroy foliage and fruits and cause harm to livestock. Among these pests, mosquitoes, filth flies, sand flies and stable flies are especially notorious for their negative impacts on the quality of human life. It has been estimated that mosquitoes transmit diseases to more than 700 million people annually worldwide. In addition, damages to livestock caused by the stable fly, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), and house fly, Musca domestica (L.) alone exceed $1 billion annually.
Conventional synthetic insecticides such as chlorinated phenyl and cyclodiene compounds are noted for the strong mode of action on a variety of arthropod pests; however, their high toxicity also presents significant risks to human health and the environment.
At present, pyrethroids such as permethrin are the only class of synthetic insecticides recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for mosquitoes. Pyrethroids exhibit lower toxicity for mammals and moderate residual effects; thus, they have been widely used in a multitude of settings. The widespread use of pyrethroids, however, presents a new obstacle: it drives the selective adaptation of the pest species, resulting in pests with increased resistance and decreased susceptibility.
In light of the above described problems, there is a pressing need for the development of novel insecticides that are not only capable of controlling the target insects, but also exhibit low toxicity to humans and the environment. As will be clear from the disclosure that follows, these and other benefits are provided by the present invention.